what is the duty of the pennsylvania attorney general

by Eva Hahn 7 min read

The Attorney General of Pennsylvania is an elected constitutional office in the executive branch of the Pennsylvania state government. He or she serves as the chief law enforcement officer of Pennsylvania and represents the state and its agencies in any action brought by or against them.

What does the PA State Attorney General actually do?

The Pennsylvania Attorney General is therefore the Commonwealth’s chief law enforcement officer responsible for the appropriate functioning of all of these services and programs. Additional duties include the collection of debts and taxes that are due to the Commonwealth. These taxes and debts will be managed by the Attorney General at all times.

What are the basic duties of the Attorney General?

Feb 16, 2022 · Protecting consumers and combating scams is a top priority of the Office of Attorney General. It’s important for Pennsylvanians to know what schemes are out there – so they can avoid getting scammed and help our Office protect other consumers.

How do I contact the PA Attorney General?

Apr 05, 2015 · The Attorney General Pennsylvania is an independent office headed by the elected individual. The office is responsible for prosecuting crimes that were originally prosecuted by the state, including all acts of organized crime, public corruption and consumer protection issues.

When did the Attorney General become an elected office in Pennsylvania?

It defends the constitutionality of Pennsylvania law; represents Commonwealth agencies and their employees in the course of their job duties; collects taxes and other debts owed to the Commonwealth including through litigation of tax appeals to the Commonwealth Court; reviews Commonwealth contracts, regulations and bond issues for form and legality; acts as a …

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What is the role of the Attorney General?

The office has the responsibility for the prosecution of those crimes prosecuted by the commonwealth, including organized crime and public corruption, as well as civil litigation on behalf of some, but not all, commonwealth agencies and the civil enforcement of some commonwealth laws, including laws pertaining to consumer protection and charities. The Attorney General represents the commonwealth in all actions brought by or against the commonwealth and reviews all proposed rules and regulations by commonwealth agencies.

Who was the first person to develop the Pennsylvania judicial system?

Under the influence of David Lloyd, who served 1686–1710, Pennsylvania developed its first judicial system. Andrew Hamilton, who served 1717–1726, strongly influenced Pennsylvania law away from some aspects of the British system.

SCAM ALERTS

Protecting consumers and combating scams is a top priority of the Office of Attorney General. It’s important for Pennsylvanians to know what schemes are out there – so they can avoid getting scammed and help our Office protect other consumers.

EDUCATION & OUTREACH

The Office of Public Engagement offers a number of free educational programs to help school personnel, students, parents and the community empower Pennsylvanians with knowledge to keep them safe and to make good decisions.

ONLINE PROGRAMMING

We would love to joing your online classroom and give a presentation today. Here are a few examples of our available presentations.

What is the office of the Attorney General of Pennsylvania?

The Attorney General Pennsylvania is an independent office headed by the elected individual. The office is responsible for prosecuting crimes that were originally prosecuted by the state, including all acts of organized crime, public corruption and consumer protection issues.

Who is William Ryan?

William Ryan is the acting Attorney General of Pennsylvania. Ryan is a graduate of Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. After receiving his Bachelor’s Degree, Ryan earned his J.D. from the Villanova University Law School.

What is the Civil Law Division?

The Civil Law Division defends the constitutionality of Pennsylvania law, represents Commonwealth agencies, defends the Commonwealth in tax appeals, collects delinquent taxes and other debts owed to the Commonwealth, handles or supervises various appeals and reviews Commonwealth contracts, regulations ...

What is the appellate litigation section?

The Appellate Litigation Section handles all civil litigation appeals in state and federal courts. These appeals arise from both the Civil Law and Public Protection Divisions of the Office of Attorney General and include constitutional challenges to state laws, policies and actions; employment, tax appeal and personal injury matters; oversight of charitable organizations; and consumer protection cases. The Appellate Litigation Section also analyzes and advises on requests that the Commonwealth join friend-of-the-court “amicus” briefs in the Supreme Court of the United States and elsewhere around the Country.

What is impact litigation?

The Impact Litigation Section is responsible for representing the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a plaintiff in civil litigation and related legal matters involving issues of significant state and national importance, including matter s regarding policies and actions of the federal government. It both initiates legal action on its own and joins actions initiated by other state attorneys general across the Country where doing so is necessary or desirable to protect the legal rights of Pennsylvanians. The Impact Litigation Section also analyzes and advises on requests that the Commonwealth join friend-of-the-court “amicus” briefs in the Supreme Court of the United States and elsewhere around the Country.

What is the legal review section?

The Legal Review Section reviews and approves for form and legality all state agency contracts and regulations, as well as state bond issues. It also drafts and approves plain language statements for ballot questions, protects agricultural operations from unauthorized local regulation that is prohibited or preempted by state law under the Agricultural Communities and Rural Environment Act, 3 Pa. C.S. §§ 311-318, or “ACRE,” and responds to all Right-to-Know Law requests submitted to the Office of Attorney General. In addition, when requested to do so by the Governor or the head of any Commonwealth agency, the Legal Review Section provides them with legal advice on matters arising in connection with their official duties. 71 P.S. § 732-204.

What is financial enforcement?

The majority of the remaining cases involve personal income taxes. Financial Enforcement collect s delinquent debts and other obligations owed to the Commonwealth and its agencies. It also represents the Commonwealth and its agencies before federal bankruptcy courts in Pennsylvania and throughout the United States.

What is a torts lawyer?

The Torts Litigation Section defends the Commonwealth and its agencies, officials, and employees in personal injury and property damage actions in each of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties. Many of these matters involve claims against the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation (PennDOT) for death or serious bodily injury resulting from the allegedly defective design, construction, or maintenance of state highways. Torts Litigation lawyers work out of six regional offices across the state.

What is the role of the Attorney General?

Attorneys throughout the country, the Attorney General may provide guidance interpreting the law to assist in prosecuting or defending the United States in legal proceedings. The Attorney General also oversees the federal prison system and all of the systems that pertain to it.

How many times has Barr been Attorney General?

Barr has served as Attorney General twice, once during the George H.W. Bush administration from 1991 to 1993, and currently in the Trump administration. Barr has been consistent in his determination that the Executive branch claims absolute executive authority, contrary to our system of checks and balances.

When was the Office of the Attorney General created?

The Office of the Attorney General was created in 1789 and was intended to be a one-person position. The person in the position was supposed to be “learned in the law” and was tasked with conducting all suits in the Supreme Court and advising the president and cabinet in law-related matters.

Who is in charge of the Justice Department?

The Attorney General is in charge of the Department and is responsible for all aspects of the Justice Department. The head of this vast bureaucracy has enough impact to shape the way laws are treated by law enforcement professionals across the country.

What is the Department of Justice?

The Department of Justice is responsible for most of the legal business of the government, and therefore, many of the law enforcement agencies throughout the country . There are six litigating divisions in the department: Antitrust.

Who is Marissa Jordan?

Marissa Jordan is an accountant and freelance writer interested in current events, economics, and science. Formerly, she wrote for technical blogs on specialized software. When not writing or accounting, she likes spending time with family, reading, and trivia.

What is the role of an attorney general?

As chief legal officers of the states, commonwealths, District of Columbia, and territories of the United States, the role of an attorney general is to serve as counselor to state government agencies and legislatures, and as a representative of the public interest.

What is the People's Lawyer podcast?

The People’s Lawyer is a biweekly podcast from NAAG that explores the role of state and territory attorneys general as chief legal officers and their work protecting the rule of law and the U.S. Constitution.

What is the role of a public advocate?

Issuing formal opinions to state agencies. Acting as public advocates in areas such as child support enforcement, consumer protections, antitrust and utility regulation. Proposing legislation. Enforcing federal and state environmental laws. Representing the state and state agencies before the state and federal courts.

Early life and education

Shapiro was born on June 20, 1973, in Kansas City, Missouri, and was raised in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. He attended high school at Jack M. Barrack Hebrew Academy in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.

Early career

After graduating college, Shapiro moved to Washington D.C. He started as legislative assistant to Senator Carl Levin, then served as a senior adviser to Congressman Peter Deutsch and Senator Robert Torricelli. From 1999 to 2003, he worked as Chief of Staff to Congressman Joe Hoeffel.

Pennsylvania Attorney General

Shapiro announced his intention to run for Pennsylvania attorney general in January 2016. While Shapiro had practiced with Philadelphia's Stradley Ronon firm, and had served as chairman of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, he had never served as a prosecutor.

2022 Pennsylvania gubernatorial campaign

Shapiro is preparing to run for Governor of Pennsylvania in the 2022 election and is widely viewed as the front-runner for the Democratic nomination. Before his announcement, term-limited Governor Tom Wolf endorsed Shapiro's bid.

What is the Attorney General's Office looking into?

In addition to investigating criminal operations, the attorney general’s office looks into scams targeting seniors, violations of the state’s clean air and water laws and evaluates whether mergers break antitrust laws. On April 26, voters in both parties will have a choice for attorney general. Do the voters prefer a candidate with political ...

Who is Joe Peters?

Republican candidate Joe Peters was a Scranton police officer, an organized crime and drug prosecutor in the attorney general's office for 15 years, a federal mafia prosecutor and oversaw a White House drug trafficking program. He most recently served as Kathleen Kane’s spokesman for about eight months in 2013 and 2014.

What is the Roe v Wade ruling?

This was the 1992 landmark abortion ruling that upheld the basic tenet of Roe v. Wade that a woman has the right to an abortion. It established a new “undue burden” test, which struck down part of the Pennsylvania law which required wives to notify their husbands before getting an abortion.

Who is the chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners?

Shapiro is the chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners and was appointed to be the chairman of the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency [PCCD] by Gov. Tom Wolf about a year ago.

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Current Officeholder

  • The current officeholder is Democrat Josh Shapiro. Shapiro won election to the position on November 8, 2016, and assumed office on January 17, 2017.
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Authority

  • The Pennsylvania Constitution addresses the office of the attorney general in Article IV. Under Article IV, Section 4:
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Qualifications

  • Article IV Section 5 of the state constitutionalso outlines the qualifications for holding the office of attorney general. 1. at least 30 years old 2. a resident of Pennsylvania for at least the previous seven years 3. a member of bar of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania Article IV, Section 5:
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Elections

  • Pennsylvania elects the attorney general in presidential election years. The term for the office begins on the third Tuesday of January following the election. In the primary election of 1978, Pennsylvania voters approved a constitutional amendment that changed the attorney general from an appointed position to an elected position. The change was implemented in 1980 when …
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Vacancies

  • Article IV, Section 8 of the Pennsylvania Constitution grants the governor the power to appoint officers to fill vacancies. In the event of a vacancy in the office of attorney general, the governor nominates a successor. This nomination must be made to the Pennsylvania State Senatewithin 90 days of the vacancy. The senate must then take action (confirming or rejecting nomination) …
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Divisions

  • As of January 11, 2021, divisions within the Office of the Attorney General included: 1. Criminal Law 2. Public Protection 3. Civil Law 4. Office of Public Engagement
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What Is The Role of The Attorney General?

The Pennsylvania Attorney General is the chief law enforcement officer of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. It became an elected office in 1980. The current Attorney General is Democrat Josh Shapiro.
On August 15, 2016, then-Attorney General Kathleen Kanewas convicted of criminal charges, including conspiracy, perjury, and obstruction of justice, and …

How Does One Become Attorney General?

What Are The Most Important Powers of The Attorney General?

Who Is The Current Attorney General?

What Agencies Are Under The Department of Justice?

  • The Attorney General is the Head of the Justice Department and the attorney for the United States in all legal matters. They dispense legal advice to the president and the heads of other governmental agencies when requested. The Attorney General may support important cases that go to the Supreme Court of the United States if the case is deemed important in nature. The Atto…
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History of The Attorney General

  • The position of Attorney General is an appointed one, nominated by the president and confirmed by the United States Senate. There is also a succession plan in place in the event there is no Attorney General due to absence or death, which allows the Deputy Attorney General to assume all powers and duties of the office. While the Deputy Attorney General would not be a confirmed …
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List of Attorneys General

  • The Attorney General will provide advice and guidance to the president and other high ranking officials regarding the law and how it should be implemented. This provides the Attorney General with a great deal of power, as they would have the ability to shape how laxly or punitively the law is to be applied. As the Justice Department has such wide-reaching tentacles of power in matter…
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The Rantt Rundown

  • William Barr is the current Attorney General of the United States. He replaced Jeff Sessions in 2019 after President Trump fired Sessions. Barr has served as Attorney General twice, once during the George H.W. Bush administration from 1991 to 1993, and currently in the Trump administration. Barr has been consistent in his determination that the Executive branch claims a…
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